Animation/Illustration BFA: The Big Picture

The Bachelor of Fine Arts, or BFA, in Animation/Illustration is a pre-professional degree program that educates and trains the next generation of motion designers, illustrators, project directors, and other industry professionals.

What You Will Study

As an animation/illustration major, you will take courses in both traditional and digital drawing techniques that provide a foundation for advanced animation coursework. The multidisciplinary curriculum includes:

Our Faculty

You will study with an outstanding full- and part-time faculty and renowned guest artists, art critics, and other visiting professionals, who will mentor you and foster your artistic growth and development while sharing insights into career opportunities.

Student Work

Throughout your course of study, you will develop illustrations using a variety of traditional and digital media and techniques, including inks, pencils, gouache, chalks, and the digital tablet. Animation works demonstrate proficiency in the wide range of techniques and software applications used in today’s motion-design field.

Careers in Animation/Illustration and Professional Resources

Illustrators and animators find work in a number of settings, ranging from major film companies like Disney and Pixar to animation houses, advertising agencies and design studios to TV studios and gaming companies. Illustrators also work for book/magazine/newspaper publishing companies, as well as for publishers of comic books and graphic novels. Sample career titles include:

Animation – Artistic and Technical

Art Director

Background/Matte Painter

Graphic Tools Software Engineer

Rigging Supervisor

Storyboard Artist

Character Designer, Animator, Technical Director Compositor

Concept Artist

Digital Painter, Matte Painter

Effects Animator

Environments Designer

Flash Animator

Layout Artist/Supervisor

Lighting Artist

Modelers, Modeling Supervisor

Multimedia Designer

Render I/O (RIO) Administrator

Technical Director, Support Engineer

Visual Development Artist

2-D and 3-D Artists

Illustration – Artistic & Technical

Architectural or Interiors Illustrator

Billboard Designer

Book or Children’s Book Illustrator

Editorial Illustrator

Instructional Illustrator

Magazine Illustrator

Mechanical Illustrator

Merchandise or Product Illustrator

Music Industry Illustrator

Newspaper Illustrator

Scientific or Medical Illustrator

Storyboard Illustrator

Technical Illustrator

Textbook Illustrator

While many illustrators and animators work as free-lancers, full-time opportunities are available to them as well. Please visit the links below for additional information: